Fan construction



R, C. ROOT.

FAN CONSTRUCTION, APPLICATION FILED MAYI3. 1919.

Patented July 27, 1920.

INVENTOR Em PH C. 60oz A TTORNEY5,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH C. BOOT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB '10 SERVICE PRODUCTSCORPORATION, OF INDIANAI'OLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION;

FAN CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented J lily-2'7, 1920.

Application filed Kay 13, 1919. Serial No. 296,780.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at I, RALPH C. Room, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, haveinvented a certain new and useful Fan Construction; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which likenumerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to a fan construction for cooling internalcombustion engines, and more particularly to the bearings therefor, andmeans for retaining the same.

The main object of this invention is. to

construct a noiseless fan. It is well known that the noise or humproduced by a fan while driven at a hi h speed is caused by the frictionproduced thereof. The fan is thrustrearwardly toward the motor when themotor is travelin at high speed, by the air pressure directe through theradiator against the .fan, and a forward end thrust is produced when themotor is moving at a lower speed while the fan travels at asubstantially higher speed, whereby in the operation of the motor drivenfan upon an automobile the fan is subjected to oppositely directed endthrusts depending upon the variation in the speed of the fan and theautomobile. This end thrust upon the bearings produces a noise which itis the object of this invention to overcome. This is accomplished byproviding bearing surfaces on the end of the fan to take up the endthrust in either direction.

Another feature of the invention is to sustain the oil in the end of thehousing containin the end thrust bearings. This is accomplis ed b meansof an 011 retaining cup constructs so as tobe wedged tightly against thehousing when secured therein,

sealing itself and preventing the oil from escaping through the end ofsaid housing.

Referring ,to .the drawings, which are made a part of this application,Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the fan constructionshowing the spindle and roller bearings in elevation. Fig.- 2 is thesame as Fig. 1 showing a partial view'with the oil.

on the end portions retaining cup before being clamped in sealingposition.

n the drawings there is shown a fan construction having a pulley 10 inteml with the hub 11, to which is securely bo ted the fan plate bearing 12and fan blades13. The outer end of the hub 11 has a flange 14, with itsend open. Extending into the hub there is a spindle 15 adapted'to berigidly mounted to the front end of the motor, and having a taperedthreaded outer end 16. The roller bearings 17 are mounted in the hubbetween the bearing spacers 18 and the spindle 15, said bearings havingend thrust bearin 19 pivotally mounted on each end thereo Surroundingthe spindle 15 and adjacent the end thrust bearings 19 there are steelwashers 20 which abut the ends of the bearing spacers 18. At the rearend of the hub there is an oil cup 21 surrounding the spindle adjacentthe rear washer 20, which is filled with the oil packing 22 and heldtherein by the inner end of the hub. At the outer end of said hub thereis a washer spacing sleeve 23 fitting snugly within the inner surface ofthe hub and having its ends abutting the steel washer 20 anda similarsteel washer 24.

A thick case hardened steel lock washer 25 is threaded so as to screw onthe threaded tapered end of the spindle 16, the threads being looseenough to ermit said washer toseat a ainst the shou der of the spindle.Said was er is slotted crosswise to a depth of about half its thicknessto ermit a cotter pin to be inserted through a ole in the end 16 andembedded in one of said slots for lockin said .washer in position. Oneach side 0 the washer 25 there is an end thrust bearin 26 in the formof a bronze washer 25 an the washers 20 and 24. The bearings are oiledthrough the recess 27, the opening .to which is closed by the plu 28.

r In the outer end-of the hub and a jacent the. washer 24, there is anoil retaining cup 29 having its inner edge abuttin' said washer, andclosing the openin in t e end of said hub for retainin the 011 thereinto feed the end thrust bearings 26. The said cup is formed so as tobulgeslightly, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby when the plate 12 is drawntightlyagainst the flange 14 the bulging portion of said cup is forcedinwardly, which will cause the peri' hery thereof to expand radially andwedge tlghtly against the inner surface of the hub so as to form an oilti ht joint, for preventing the leakage of t e oil retained thereinthrough the outer end of said hub, and overcoming any slight misfitresulting'from the forming thereo a When the automobile is traveling athi h speed there is a rearward end thrust on t e fan which is taken upby the rear bearing 26 between the washers 20 and 25, and when theautomobile is traveling at slow speed the speed of the fan causes aforward end thrust which is taken up by the forward bearing 26 betweenthe washers 24 and 25.-

This construction as above described providing end thrust bearings mayat the same time be quickl assembled as the members will readlly f0 loweach other into position between the hub and the spindle, the washer 25being screwed into position, then locked adapted to be rigidly securedto the end 'of said hub so as to engage the bulged end of said cup andforce it inwardly whereby the spindle mounted in said hub, rollerbearings between said hub and spindle, a plurality of end bearingsmounted on one end of said spindle for taking u the outward and inwardend thrust of said hub, an oil retaining cup for retaining oil in saldbearings having a bulging Surface mounted in the outer 4 end of saidhub, and a fan adapted to be rigidly secured to the end of said hub soas to engage the bulged end of said cup and force it inwardly wherebythe perlphery thereof will be forced radlally against the 6 innersurface of said hub to form an oil tight seal. 1

3. A fan construction including a hub member, a spindle extendingthrough said hub member-for supportingsaid construc- 5 tion, a retainingmember provided with a bulging surface mounted on the outer end of saidconstruction, and a fan adapted to be rigidly secured to the end of saidhub so as to engage the bulged surface of said retaining member andyieldingly force it inwardly, whereby said member will be yieldinglyforced against said construction for forming a seal and securing theparts thereof in their relative position to each other.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

RALPH C. ROOT.

